Los Angeles City Council Cracks Down on “Party Houses”

Los Angeles City Council Cracks Down on “Party Houses”

“Party houses” may be subjected to escalating fines and penalties after a Los Angeles City Council committee approved an ordinance to crack down on problematic residences. The Public Safety Committee approved a draft ordinance in February to address the growing problem.

Last month, City Attorney Mike Feuer filed criminal charges against the owners and the managers of two known “party houses” in the Hollywood Hills. One is located at 2649 La Cuesta Drive [ photo] in upper Nichols Canyon. The other residence is at 7942 Electra Drive in Mount Olympus. Both face thousands of dollars in fines and jail time if convicted as charged.

The new proposed ordinance provides for escalating fines and penalties against both the tenant and the homeowner. It would also widen the types of behavior that could result in a property owner or manager being fined or facing a criminal charge, and create escalating fines up to $4,000 for repeat violations.

It also mandates that any location cited would be tagged with a Public Notice of the violation for 30 days. This draft ordinance is scheduled to be heard by the Planning and Land Use Management Committee before moving to the full City Council for a vote. The intention is to eliminate the noise, traffic, and safety issues that occur when excessive parties are in operation.